Our Impact is guided by our strategic focus on direct and systemic impact. This simple and unified framework allows for sharp aggregation of indicators and supports understandable, compelling communication.
Read our Impact Report 2018-2022 in English and Mongolian.
Read our Annual Impact Brief 2023 in English and Mongolian
Direct Impact
Over the years, the foundation has funded numerous programmes, and each one was designed to tackle a specific problem. All our interventions generated on the ground impact, informed us about effective strategies and practices for social change, and enabled us to curate precious knowledge and learning.
51,374
People we served
Early Childhood Care and Education
31,967
children aged 0-5 years provided with access to quality care and early learning opportunities
2,209
parents and caregivers trained on responsive caregiving and early childhood stimulations
59%
parents and caregivers reporting improvement in their skills
1,840
early childhood workforce trained
Youth Employment
3,890
youth trained on employability skills and sustainable livelihoods
79%
youth who secured employment
80%
youth who reported improvement in income or quality of life
222
employers and public officials who participated in workforce development
Systemic impact
As social development programmes gain momentum in Mongolia, it is of utmost importance to encourage collaborative efforts and promote inter-sectoral thinking among philanthropy, civil society, the private sector, and the government. We are dedicated to harnessing our convening power and facilitating the unity of these crucial stakeholders. As we generate conclusive evidence on the ground, our objective is to foster the widespread adoption of successful interventions.
Establishment of Mongolian ECD Network
We are fully committed to the growth and enhancement of Early Childhood Education and Development in Mongolia. In 2022, we provided support for the creation of the Mongolian ECD Network (MECDN) in collaboration with UNICEF Mongolia and the Ministry of Education and Science (MES). The need for a national ECD network arose due to the absence of a platform that could bring key stakeholders together, facilitate dialogue, and encourage collaborations.
The MECDN aims to promote the exchange of knowledge and exploration of synergies among various partners, including development organisations, NGOs, academic institutions, and stakeholders from the public and private sectors.
The network has successfully brought together several stakeholders who have emphasised upon the ongoing efforts required to promote inclusive and high-quality early childhood services and to incorporate such provisions into relevant policies.
Global practices to Mongolia for policy consultations
We are honoured to have been invited to join the Mongolian government’s integrated ECD policy development working group. The group includes policymakers and specialists from three ministries: Education, Health, and Social Protection.
Our contribution involved understanding the global best practices in integrated ECD policies, including efforts by other governments. We conducted thorough research on global policy papers and engaged with international experts and large ECD-focused foundations, presenting insights and case studies on the importance of early childhood development in the European Union to highlight its relevance in policy discussions. The policy titled ‘Promoting Integrated ECD for Young Children’ was submitted to the cabinet ministry in 2022.
Furthermore, in 2022, we were invited by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to contribute to a policy consultation aimed at improving the effectiveness of state-funded programmes promoting youth employment.
Capacity Building of our Partners
Over the years, we have recognised that the Foundation’s role extends beyond funding social programmes. We believe in empowering our partners to maximise their effectiveness and ensure their sustainability as impactful organisations in the future. Therefore, we actively provide opportunities to our partners to test new ideas, expand their focus areas, and strengthen their organisational capacity.
Our capacity-building efforts entailed working closely with the Executive Director of REACH and establishing a competent executive team to reduce overreliance on her; developing sustainable social enterprises that meet strong market demand and align with REACH‘s mission; providing additional funding to the Zorig Foundation to gather data and build evidence of the programme’s effectiveness, thereby developing robust internal monitoring and evaluation systems; collaborating with World Vision Mongolia to refine and expand their approach on improving livelihoods for vulnerable families in urban areas.
Government adoption of our programme in Vietnam
We have maintained a keen interest in OneSky’s work in Mongolia and Vietnam. Over the years, OneSky has supported marginalised families in under-resourced communities, creating a safe and nurturing childcare environment for children to thrive. OneSky’s programme in Vietnam involved training of local home-based care (HBC) providers to deliver high-quality care and implement best practices in early childhood education within their own centres.
Impressed by OneSky’s consistent progress in achieving programme objectives and following the validation of the programme’s impact through an evaluation by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Vietnam’s central Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) agreed to collaborate with OneSky to pilot a government-led implementation of the training.
This unique opportunity of government adoption of the programme holds significant value to us, allowing us to observe the trajectory of government partnership and apply the lessons learnt to Mongolia.
Knowledge products for concerted actions
We believe in leveraging knowledge as a catalyst for systemic change. We invest our human capital and financial resources in curating knowledge to gain a profound understanding of the social issues and communities we engage with.
Our knowledge products are designed to inspire action on a large scale. Through commissioned studies such as the ‘Need Assessment of Ulaanbaatar’s ger areas’, ‘White Paper on ECCE in Mongolia’, and ‘Landscape Study on Youth Employability in Mongolia,’ we aim to uncover pressing issues and catalyse informed action. Our global engagements exemplified by initiatives such as the ‘Study of global ECE interventions’ aim to cultivate a comprehensive understanding among both the local and global stakeholders.
By actively disseminating these insights and learnings, we aim to empower stakeholders, catalysing a ripple effect that contributes to meaningful systemic impact in our philanthropic endeavours.
World’s first “Social Impact Guarantee” in Singapore
Besides providing grants, we believe in innovative financing models and social finance approaches. By investing in social enterprises, we aim to foster self-sustaining business models that can create an ongoing impact independently in the long run.
In 2021, we launched the world’s first Social Impact Guarantee (SIG) to fund innovative enhancements in YMCA’s programme in Singapore. SIG is a results-based financing mechanism that functions similar to a money-back guarantee. It allows a donor to ensure that their donation achieves the social impact it was meant to achieve, or a portion of the funding is returned. This donation can then be recycled to a new iteration or other programmes to try to achieve the intended outcomes.
Using the SIG financing, YMCA not only improved programme outcomes but also embedded the SIG-supported enhancements into its core model.
SIG got featured in Stanford Social Innovation Review:
Dynamic partnership with the UBS Optimus Foundation
We believe in the power of partnerships to drive meaningful systemic impact. Our collaboration with the UBS Optimus Foundation on Early Childhood Care and Education in Mongolia exemplifies our commitment to fostering ‘Partnerships for Impact.’ Collaborating with esteemed global entities like UBS Optimus is pivotal in our pursuit of catalysing transformative change.
UBS Optimus Foundation, renowned for its strategic philanthropic collaborations, shares our vision for sustainable impact. Their expertise globally in leveraging innovative financing models and strategic grant-making aligns seamlessly with our mission in Mongolia. Together, we leverage collective strengths, knowledge, and resources to create sustainable solutions and amplify the impact of our initiatives in the country.
By working hand in hand with UBS Optimus Foundation, we strive to create lasting, scalable change in Early Childhood Care and Education in Mongolia.